


Ink Stains

by unholyseraphs (oncharredwings)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Tentacle Sex, Tentacles, octo!cas, tiny!octo!cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-22
Updated: 2014-07-13
Packaged: 2018-02-05 17:38:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1826599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oncharredwings/pseuds/unholyseraphs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean stops at the dilapidated exotic pet store and ends up taking home more than he bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's an Octopus

**Author's Note:**

> I was asked to put this on ao3, originally on tumblr :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork by: [Essie (Samifeur)](http://samifeur.tumblr.com/)

                                                                                  

 

The exotic pet store was falling apart. The sign was barely still painted on the building, and the windows were so filthy that their state made Dean flinch. But there was something  _in_ the store, glowing weakly, like a light, it made Dean pause, and then before he could stop himself he was walking into the store. The bell chimed, but as far as Dean could tell, there wasn't anyone inside to greet him, so he made his way up to the tank that was up against the far wall. His eyes were trained on a little glowing thing at the bottom of the tank, its light seeming weak and flickering. 

Dean tapped the glass and the creature at the bottom flinched, and then there was a thick black film filling the tank, which clouded Dean's vision on what was inside. "Ugh-hey!" he called to whomever ran the falling apart place. As far as he could tell, this little thing in the tank was the only animal left. "Um...excuse me? Is anyone here?" 

There was only silence, and Dean began to wonder if this place really was completely abandoned. A loud crash made him flinch and turn around, and then he was face to face with a bearded man, his hair sticking up in all manners of ways. He looked nervous and wild, as if he were ready to flee. 

"Um hi," Dean said. "Um...what...what's in there?" He pointed to the tank which was still filmy and black. 

"...it's-" The man shook his head. "Take it, it's yours." 

Dean stammered and tried to call the man back but he was disappearing in the back and Dean turned to look at the tank, which was an understatement. It wasn't really a  _tank_ , more of a bowl. A little fish bowl, and the water was dirty. He really shouldn't have picked it up off of the shelf, but soon Dean found himself precariously carrying a mystery bowl out of the rundown store, and off towards his apartment which was a ten minute walk away. He tried in vain to see what was in the water, but Dean figured he wouldn't know until he got home and could put the creature in a different container. 

He had an old fish tank in the garage that he could probably use. Feeling better and confident, Dean picked up the pace, but still slow enough so he didn't slosh the animal too much. Sam was going to make fun of him for taking a fish home, but at least his fish wouldn't shed all over the carpet like Sam's stupid puppy did. His pet was by far much cooler than Bones. 

When Dean came to his front door, he had to do a slow finagle to get his keys out, and pray to God that he didn't drop them or the fish on accident, but somehow he managed to get inside and then he was carrying the bowl over to the counter in the kitchen. "There you go," he said to the creature. "I'll be back."

Honestly he had no idea why he was apologizing to a sea creature, but he was already heading to the garage to pick up the fish tank. It was a five gallon thing, with an air pump and filter. It wasn't even that old; he had gotten it for his birthday one year. That had been the year he had wanted to get a turtle, but he had never bothered to do so. The tank was still in its box, so Dean carted the box back to the kitchen and began to set it up with all of its instructions. Thirty minutes later, he had a working tank, with a few rocks, and a small little castle at the bottom. 

It was time to find out what type of animal was in his mystery bowl. The water was finally clearing up a bit and Dean blinked when he saw little tentacles sticking out of a chest at the bottom of his bowl. Black tentacles, with gray under coloring. 

"Tentacles?" he asked, his head tilting. "What kind of fish has-" 

The creature sat up and quickly slid out of its box, ducking behind it timidly. It was then that Dean saw with surprise that the little creature had humanoid features from its waist up. The little animal peered around the chest and stared at him with huge, round eyes that were so blue it made Dean startle a little. His tiny hands were webbed, with little sharp, black nails on the ends. His body was gray, and sickly, and Dean began to feel sorry for...whatever it was. The gills on his neck were weakly flaring, and Dean had a feeling the poor little animal was sick. 

"Hey buddy," he said gently. "I um...I'm gonna put you in the new place? See?" Dean stepped aside and then the little tentacled creature slid to the glass of his bowl, peering through the grime at the new tank on the counter. "It's nice, yeah? I mean-it could be better, I'm sure...but for now, it's not so bad, yeah?" 

To Dean's surprise, the creature nodded its head. Then it was making some weird clicking noise, and Dean could see that it had rows of sharp teeth, and his mouth looked black. What the hell  _was_ this thing? 

"Um...can you livein fresh water?" he asked. "Cuz, I only got fresh water..." The creature gave him a hand gesture that Dean took as  _maybe_ , so Dean began to feel anxious about rehoming the animal. "I don't wanna make you sick...but I guess you're already sick, aren't you? Well-lemme um....lemme call a friend of mine. He'll know what to do, okay buddy?" 

The creature nodded again and then he was returning to the little fake treasure chest. Dean sighed and grabbed his cell phone. The only guy he knew that would know  _anything_ about something this bizarre was Ash. So, five minutes, and one bizarre conversation later, Dean was sitting on his front porch and waiting for Ash to deliver some things to him. He just hoped the little guy didn't die while he waited. 

A white van pulled up outside of Dean's house, and then Ash was climbing out, and going to the back. "Hey Dean!" 

"Hey Ash," he greeted with a small wave. "What'd you bring?" 

Ash was pulling out a huge box, much bigger than the tank that Dean had had in his house, and putting it on a dolly to deliver carefully. "Your new pet's home. No charge, man. We're buddies, you always help me out, and that little guy doesn't gotta be penalized for bad care." 

"...Um, cool," he commented lamely. 

Carefully, the two men eased the new tank into the house and went to set it up. Ash suggested he put the thing in his bedroom, which Dean felt weird about at first, but Ash was already wheeling it there, so he had no choice but to follow. There were pumps and tanks and stands and decorations; there was so much that Dean saw it all in a blur. It wasn't until the tank was set up and running that Dean took a step back and saw that it was much more impressive than the other one. 

"Okay," Ash said with a clap of his hands. "Where's the little guy?" 

"On the counter. In the little bowl," Dean replied slowly. The tank was a salt water tank, with natural looking rocks and sand on the bottom, with hiding  holes, and plants for the animal to hide in. Ash had added a little figurine of a scuba diver at the bottom, which made Dean smile. 

"Okay," Ash said as he returned, a baggy in his hand. The creature was at the bottom in some water. "I'm gonna put the baggy and him in the water. In about twenty minutes you can let him out, he's gotta get used to the tank so his system doesn't go into shock, okay? The water is regulated to be around eighty degrees, so keep an eye on the thermometer. Anything below seventy, and he'll die." 

"Right. Okay-what-what does it eat?" Dean asked, watching as the baggy bobbed in the water. The octo thing was pressing at the plastic desperately, but eventually it gave up and rested on its back along the bottom of the back, tentacles dangling up the side. 

"Shrimp, krill. Fish. He's gonna get to be about as big as your palm, that's why he needed a larger tank," Ash replied. "He shouldn't get any bigger than that...and the filter is pretty high tech, you won't have to clean the tank too much, it'll self clean." 

"That's good," Dean said with a nod of his head. "Does it um...does it talk?" 

"I've heard they can but they gotta learn like kids. So...teach him, I guess? And um....it's a him...give him a name, got it?" Ash walked over and waved his fingers at the octo thing. "Bye little guy." 

"Ash, what  _is_ it?" Dean asked again.  _  
_

"It's an octopus," Ash replied. "Duh." 


	2. Going to Hell

Art by [Anna](http://carrionofmywaywardson.tumblr.com/)

 

Castiel, that was what he had named it, was happily floating around in his tank, his tentacles sticking and suctioning to the tank walls for purchase while Dean watched him. Sometimes, when Dean made too many sudden movements, the little creature inked and would hide quickly in the rocks. Dean tried not to startle him too much. 

"Hey buddy," he said with a smile. Castiel had gotten bigger since he had first gotten him, now the little creature could rest in his hand fairly easily. The only reason he knew  _that_ was because he had come home to a sad and practically dried up octopus on the floor of his bedroom. The little guy had gotten curious, and had made his way out of the tank, and onto the the floor. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to climb back up into the tank. Dean had given him the rule that if he wanted out into the air, that he had to wait for Dean to be home so he could keep Castiel wet. 

The store had squirt bottles, so Dean had bought one that he could keep on hand when Castiel wanted to see the outside world. He had also bought a deep tin that worked as a mini pool that Dean filled up with water, so Castiel could splash around while Dean was in the kitchen. The little octopus had horrible separation anxiety. 

Castiel chirped and clicked at him; he could screech  _Dean_ , but that was the only English word he knew. " _Dean_ ," he called excitedly. 

"Yeah, hi Cas, just a second, okay?" Dean smiled and slid into his bathroom. Ash had given him troubling news lately, which was making him feel nervous. Little octo things liked to have  _mates_ , and they usually grew attached to their mates. From the way Dean had described Castiel's behavior, Ash had told him that he feared Castiel found Dean to  _his_  mate. Which was weird, really,  _really_ weird. But it hadn't been enough for Dean to get rid of Castiel; he couldn't get rid of the little guy, since he hadn't asked to be mistreated at the store. 

" _Dean. Dean. Dean_ ," the little octopus called insistently. 

"Okay Cas, I'm coming," he said, after washing his hands. They had both found out the hard way that fresh water was okay for putting Castiel in in the short term, but longterm he needed salt water. Castiel was already sliding up to the top of his tank and attempted to lift the lid. "Hold on baby, hold on." 

" _Dean._ " 

"Hi," Dean said with a kind smile, offering his palm. Castiel pushed the lid up and then his tentacles were reaching out and grasping onto Dean's fingers until he could carefully climb out and rest in Dean's hand. The little guy tangled his limbs all around Dean's hand, until he was comfortable and could rest his chin along Dean's thumb. 

" _Dean_." 

"Hi buddy. How are you today?" 

The octopus squeaked and then Dean could see feel some ink running down his wrist, which made the little guy's cheeks blush. 

"What'd you do that for?" Dean asked, slightly irritated. "That's gross Cas-" 

Castiel flinched and his cheeks darkened. " _Dean_ ," he said sadly. 

"...it's okay," he replied gently. "You didn't mean to-" he cut off when it happened again. "Cas?" 

" _Dean. Dean...Dean_." Castiel made a small noise, like a whimper, and then Dean was trying to look under his tentacles. The octopus panicked a bit and flailed, which made Dean almost drop him. 

"Cas baby, lemme look. I wanna make sure you're okay-" Dean lifted up his nearest tentacle and tilted Cas gently so he could look to see where the ink was coming from. What he found made  _his_ cheeks blush, and he was dropping Castiel's limb quickly. "Um...yeah you're fine-" 

" _Dean_ ," Castiel said, his voice sounding ashamed. 

His  _male_ octopus had what looked like a very humanlike vagina beneath his underbelly; it was swoll and open, as if Castiel had been shoving things inside himself all day. It was also the source of the leaking ink. Dean  _really_ didn't want to know what was going on. 

"It's okay buddy-um-how about I put you back- _Ow!!_ " Dean gasped when Castiel sunk his sharp, needle teeth into the meat of his thumb. "Okay! You can stay-Jesus, man!" 

Castiel slowly withdrew his mouth and then he was lightly licking up the wound, looking ashamed and shy. More ink leaked onto Dean's palm. " _Dean_ ," he said quietly, and then he rubbed himself against Dean's palm a bit, wriggling and writhing. Was...was his octopus  _masturbating_ on his hand? 

"Cas-Cas you can't-what are you doing?" Dean stammered, ready to fling Castiel back into his tank, but he didn't move. He just stared as Castiel held onto his thumb and rubbed against his palm, his eyes closed, and face full of concentration. Oh God, his pet really was trying to get himself off on his hand. "Cas  _stop_." 

Blue eyes slid up to his and he stared up at Dean sadly as if Dean had told him to go fuck off. " _Dean_?" 

"...no Cas-I can't-we can't-I'm not your-" Dean fumbled to find the right words. He didn't want to upset Castiel on accident. "Just-hold on-" Face hot, Dean walked them both into the kitchen and carefully deposited Castiel into the mini pool on the counter, and then he was calling Ash, his face still hot and red. This couldn't have been normal behavior. 

"What's shakin' Dean?" came Ash's greeting. 

"...my octopus just tried to fucking masturbate on my palm  _and_ I thought it was a boy, but it's got...lady parts," Dean said quickly. Man, did he hope Ash didn't think he was a freak. 

"Well, he  _does_ think you're his mate. You should lend him a hand-" Ash cut off and laughed. "Get it?" 

"Yeah-yeah," Dean grumbled and groused. "This can't be normal-I'm not gonna finger my pet!" 

"Well, he's only gonna get more needy as he goes into heat, so you may as well," Ash replied, as if it was a totally normal thing to finger a tiny humanoid creature. "I gotta roll, but it's okay Dean. Just don't you know...bring it up to anyone." 

When Ash hung up, Dean could only stare at his phone in disbelief, and then he turned his gaze on Castiel. The octopus had moved himself to lean back against the edge of the tin, his tentacles splayed open to reveal his leaking sex. He was biting his lip and looking needy and desperate; Dean just stammered and stared. 

"What do you expect me to do, Cas? We can't have sex-you're......as big as my hand," Dean said, feeling like an idiot for even having this conversation. 

" _Dean_." 

"....yeah-yeah I know-" Dean ran his clean hand through his hair and then set his phone down. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he whispered before walking over and rubbing his pinky over Castiel's labia. The octopus sighed, his eyes shutting and then Dean watched as his underside began to change colors; it went from gray to vibrant blue. Dean tried to ignore that, since now it was like fingering a Smurf, and this was already weird enough. 

Castiel was warm and wet to the touch, so Dean was very careful to rub and tease, until he could press the tip of his pink inside Castiel's sex. The creature purred and clicked; the ink was making him slick and Dean could slide the first digit of his pinky inside him easily. Castiel's fingers dug into the edge of the tin he was in, digging little scratches and dents into the surface as Dean pressed his finger in and out. 

He was  _fingering_ his octopus. This had to be a sin, or a fetish, he wasn't sure which. Maybe it was both. The worst part was that Castiel was really enjoying it, and even  _Dean_ was finding it a bit sexually stimulating; his own dick was hardening in his jeans, which he tried to ignore but it wasn't long before he was breathing just as hard as Cas was. 

" _DeanDeanDeanDean_ ," the octopus cooed and then he bucked, his tentacles shuddering. Dean watched as the little thing inked, and he could feel his pinky being squeezed. He had just given Cas an orgasm. Okay, that was weird. 

"....oh shit," he whispered. His cock was throbbing and he almost whipped it out right there to jerk himself to a finish, but that would just be  _too_ weird. Way too weird. "Okay Cas um...that's it-okay? No more...weird...ness." 

Castiel was lying boneless in his water, a smile on his face, little bubbles coming up now and. The little fucker was practically high with elation. Dean shook his head and picked up the tray to carry Castiel back to his tank. The octopus floated down to the bottom and then he was hugging and cuddling into the sand, clearly happy. 

"You're welcome," he snapped, still feeling dirty and embarrassed. It was almost on par with putting peanut butter on your private places for your dog to lick off. Dean shuddered and went to wash his hands in the bathroom. Unfortunately, his dick was still throbbing and telling him he needed to get off, and like  _now_. Annoyed with himself, Dean shoved his jeans and boxers down to his thighs and wrapped his still wet hand around his cock, quickly pumping his wrist. 

His eyes fell on himself in the mirror, and Dean could see that the head of his cock was so red it was almost purple, and he groaned at the sensations running through his body. Oh he was going to come fast and thick. A groan escaped his throat and then he was finally releasing in thick, white stripes, which painted his hand and the bathroom counter. 

"Fuck!" Dean shuddered and leaned heavily against the counter, until he heard a distinct, " _Dean"_ from the other room. "Hang-hang on Cas," he whispered, his voice cracking. 

" _Dean_." 

"Okay- _okay Cas_!" he called, while pulling his pants back up to stumble back out of the bathroom. It was only then that he realized his hand was still sticky with his own cum. "What Cas?" 

Castiel purred and began to pump his suckers against the glass, which was weirdly transfixing. " _Dean,"_ he said insistently. 

Dean could see that he was leaking ink all over the glass. "Cas,  _no_. I said no, okay? No...not right now-maybe..maybe later. I gotta...make my dinner...and your dinner..." With that lame excuse, Dean set a book on top of Castiel's tank so he couldn't let himself out, and then he left the bedroom, even going so far as to shutting the door. He didn't mean to be rude, but he really needed time to think this out. Castiel's whines and cries made him flinch, but Dean turned on the TV to drown him out. 

"I'm going to Hell," he whispered before finally remembering to wash his hands. 


	3. Tiny Octopus with an Attitude

Castiel had a love for Dean’s underwear, the human had come to find after a long day at the roadhouse. The little octopus had not been in his tank when Dean had returned and for a moment, he had panicked because where could Castiel _be_? Was he dead and dry somewhere?? Was he hurt?? Dean called for Castiel over and over, until he finally found the little creature curled up in a pair of his boxers on the floor; he had been so moist and wet when he had crawled in that the water had made a little pocket for Castiel to keep mostly moist inside. He was asleep, making little purring and cooing sounds, which Dean assumed were snores. Of course, this did not stop Dean from panicking and picking Castiel up to toss into his tank.

Castiel had been quite angry with him after that incident. In fact, he was _still_ angry with him and it had been a week since the accident. Dean was coming into his bedroom and there was no sign of Castiel in the tank, but there weren’t any suction cup marks, or ink stains anywhere else, so Dean had to assume the little cephalopod was inside his home. Dean set his jacket down on his bed before walking over to lightly tap on the glass. “Cas?” he called gently. “C’mere buddy, please? Please Cas?” 

After a minute of no responses, Castiel finally appeared, looking miffed, his arms crossed, and his tentacles a raging red. “ _What_?” he asked.

Clearly, Castiel had been learning new words other than _Dean_. “Hey Cas,” he greeted with a smile. “I’m really sorry for throwing you, okay? I was just panicked, I thought you were going to die, or get sick, or something.” 

“ _Cas fine_ ,” Castiel insisted firmly.

“Well, I’m glad…did you like my underwear that much?” he asked, even as his face was heating up. Why his underwear? Why not his socks or his shirts?

“ _Yes_ ,” Castiel said. “ _Smell like Dean_.” 

Dean flushed deep red and glanced down at his shoes. How awkward. “Well um…how about I give you a pair that you can cuddle and sleep in, but just those, okay?” 

Castiel huffed and then he was inking and disappearing in annoyance. Dean sighed and straightened his spine slowly. Taking care of a tiny octopus with an attitude was really, _really_ rough.

“Okay Cas, be a jerk,” he snapped. Dean reached over and set a heavy dictionary on top of Castiel’s tank, which was how he punished the little guy when he was misbehaving. Castiel hated when Dean trapped him inside the tank, but he was just going to have to get used to it if he were going to be an asshole. Storming from the room, Dean went to make his dinner, but it wasn’t long before he could hear Castiel making noises in the bedroom, sounding distressed and upset. 

_Just ignore him, you gotta let him cry it out. Ignore him…ignore…_  

Dean was weak against the octopi’s cries of distress. “What?” he snapped at Castiel as he returned to the bedroom, throwing his arms up in the air. “You ignore me when I’m home for a week, but now you want out?!”

Castiel was pressed against the glass, his face a mask of sadness. He was near the top, trying to push the lid up, but he couldn’t with the dictionary keeping him inside. Dean felt his heart practically melt when the octopus gave him his version of the puppy eyes; it was almost disturbing how sad the guy could look. “ _Dean_ ,” he cried sadly. 

“Okay, okay,” Dean muttered. He had no choice but to lift the book free and then allow Castiel to climb into his hand. “I’m sorry.” Dean slid his index finger to gently rub along Castiel’s neck and chin, which made Castiel purr and nuzzle him affectionately. “That’s my buddy.”

“ _Dean…Cas happy_.” 

“I see that,” Dean replied with a proud smile. He had made his octopus _happy_ , which he never thought he would ever say in his entire life, but here they were. “You wanna help me make dinner?”

“ _Yes_."

“Okay.” Dean grinned and carried Castiel back to the kitchen where he gently deposited Castiel into a large glass cup after he filled it with water. Castiel settled his lower half in the water and then slid to hang over the edge, his elbows on the glass of the rim, and his face in his tiny palms. The creature was really too cute, it made Dean squirm, and he always felt the need to punch something to feel manly again. 

“I’m gonna make hamburgers tonight, Ash said you could try people food. You wanna try a tiny piece?” Dean asked him as he walked over to start making the hamburger meat he had in a mixing bowl into patties. Maybe he could make a _tiny_ patty for Castiel.

“ _Yes_.”

“Awesome. I’ll put some salt on yours, alright?” 

The octopus nodded and then he was attempting to move the glass along, which almost made him tip over, so Dean had to hurry and catch him. More distressed noises filled Dean’s ears, and then he gently poured some more water into Castiel’s glass, since some had sloshed with the almost disaster. He watched as Castiel ducked down to rehydrate, and the he stubbornly sat and waited, drumming his fingers on the rim of the glass with impatience.

“ _Help_.” 

“I know you wanna help Cas, just a sec. I’ll give you something you can do, okay?” Dean turned his gaze back on his work, finally melding the last tiny bit of the hamburger into a very small patty for Castiel to try. He was going to have to learn how to cook on a doll-like size so Cas could have meals with him too. He had even considered going to the toy store and buying doll furniture so Castiel could have furniture like he did, which was probably obsessive, but he wanted his octopus to feel included. 

“ _Help Dean_.” 

“Just a sec Cas-“ Dean replied but then he startled when Castiel squeaked. He looked over in time to watch the octopus fall again, as he had been trying to reach the straws. His glass tipped and then he was crashing, his tentacles flailing as he attempted to grasp onto the counter. “Cas!” 

The glass shattered on the floor and Dean jumped to try and catch Castiel before he fell into the pieces. He almost tripped and had to catch himself on the oven, his hand grasping Castiel too tightly. The cephalopod made a new noise, which made Dean almost drop him, but eventually Dean was able to relax enough to relinquish his grip on the poor guy, and carefully back away from the glass shards.

“ _Cas_ ,” he said sternly. “You know better than to try and climb out of the glass. You could have been really hurt.” Fear was making his heart pump a hell of a lot harder than it had been before, but Castiel could have been hurt… _killed_ even. “Don’t do that again, okay? I’m gonna get you plastic cups to sit in. Clear plastic cups, okay?” 

Castiel nodded, peering over Dean’s fingers to look down at the mess he had made. It was only then that Dean noted the amount of ink on his hands; Castiel must have inked in panic. He slid his finger to rub against Castiel’s back, trying to comfort him, and he could feel the tiny octopus trembling in fear. He cooed at the creature, trying to calm him, even as he practically turned grey in his panic.

“Shh, shh Cas, it’s okay. It’s okay buddy, it’s okay,” Dean whispered, still rubbing Castiel’s back.

“ _Dean_ ,” he whimpered.

“I know, I know. I got you. I got you buddy.” Holding Castiel in one hand, and by holding he meant that Castiel was clinging and wrapped around his hand so tightly he was starting to lose sensation in his fingers, Dean began to dig through his cupboards so he could find something more sturdy to put Castiel inside. There was a large Tupperware container on the top shelf, so Dean pulled that down and filled it with warm water. Castiel liked his water warm, and it would hopefully calm him down.

Dean gently settled Castiel into the warm water, but he wouldn’t let go of his hand, so Dean rested his hand in the water for the fifteen minutes it took Castiel to calm down enough to release him. His color slowly returned and he became less stressed. Dean even went so far as to go to the bathroom and bring Castiel the rubber ducky. Sam had bought it for him, and Castiel loved his bath toy. He had named it Arnold. Dean set Arnold in with Castiel and pushed him far back against the backsplash so if Castiel did somehow tip his new container, he wouldn’t fall over the ledge of the counter. Slowly, Dean returned to making hamburgers, and eventually he was able to place Castiel little hamburger on a plate, and he went to finally get a broom to sweep up the glass.

As Castiel nibbled at his new meal, Dean cooked his and soon, he was sitting on a stool by the breakfast counter, and together they enjoyed their dinners. And despite filling silly, Dean silently thanked God, or angels, or whichever Holy entity was listening to him for Castiel’s safety.

 


	4. Doll Chairs for Cas

Hobby Lobby was just not a cool place for a guy to visit, especially when said guy was standing in the doll furniture aisle. There were way too many options when it came to _doll furniture_ , Dean had soon realized. He had been standing and staring at all of the options for about twenty minutes, and in those twenty minutes two sales people had come along to see if he needed help, which he had quickly declined. They didn’t need to know that he was shopping for his humanoid octopus. Ash had been _pissed_ when he had suggested going and buying furniture from a toy store, some cheap Barbie stuff; apparently it was toxic.

So here he was, looking for tiny furniture so his tiny octopus would be able to feel included in Dean’s life. It was probably just really stupid for him to even be doing this, but the more he had thought on it, the more it seemed like a good idea. Castiel liked to spend time with him out of the water, so Dean had figured he could buy one set to put underwater, and another set for Castiel to use on land. He had a small basket in his hand, which made him feel even more stupid, but Dean shook the feeling away, trying to focus his mind on _what_ to buy Castiel.

“He’ll need a table,” he muttered to himself. “And a chair…at least one…maybe two or three. Different kinds, right? Yeah. Yeah, a comfy one like mine, with a little stool for his tentacles, and then one for when he’s eating his dinner….” He cut off his own sentence when he realized how insane he sounded. He was coming off like a lunatic, talking about tentacles and tables and chairs. _What the hell Winchester_. 

But what would Castiel _like_ , that was the other question. Did he want something that looked like fancy wood, or maybe something more modern? Maybe he would want the mahogany bedroom set with floral bedspread, or perhaps he would prefer a miniature rocking chair, rather than a bedroom set. Maybe he would want _both_. Dean sighed; it wasn’t as if he could just _call_ Castiel and ask him. Sure, the guy was talking a lot better now, he could make full sentences, but he was too small to answer a phone. 

He settled on a little dining room set for the counter in the kitchen, and a small bedroom set for his tank. That could get him started at least, since they were so damn expensive. He wasn’t exactly _made_ of money. Hopefully, Castiel would at least appreciate the effort. The woman at the register gave him a funny smile, as if she were _really_ unsure of him now, since he didn’t look old enough to be a father, but here he was, buying doll furniture. 

“It’s um... It’s for my niece,” he lied quickly with a nervous smile. “She really loves dolls, you know?” 

“Of course Sir,” she said as she handed him his bag and receipt. Clearly, they both wanted him to leave, so Dean took his things and rushed out of the store. _God_ did he hope Castiel liked his new stuff.

\--

“Cas? I’m home!” he called after shutting the front door. He peered into his bedroom and found Castiel on his bed, rather than in his tank. There was a book on the bed and Castiel was attempting to turn the pages, but he was also leaving little sucker marks and ink splotches on the book as well. “Hey buddy-“ 

Castiel squeaked and inked from being startled, leaving a huge spot in the middle of the page. “ _Dean_ ,” he said. “ _You’re home_.”

“Yeah, I’m home,” he said slowly. “Whatcha readin’?” he asked. Since when could Castiel _read_?

“ _Book on sea things. Mermaids._ ”

“Mermaids, huh? Are those um…are those real, by chance?” he asked before slowly pulling the furniture from the bag. Each set had come in a little box, which he began to unpack.

“ _What is that_?” Castiel asked when he saw the boxes.

“These are for you Cas,” he replied, slowly setting the dining room set down on the page without ink on it. “That’s for you to sit and eat at when we’re having dinner. Neat, huh?”

Castiel startled so badly that he fell over onto his back and flailed a bit, his tentacles going over his head. Dean chuckled and gently sat the little guy up, settling him gently in his palm, so Castiel had something he could grab and purchase. “ _For me_?” he asked, his hands flying to his cheeks in surprise.

“Yep, for you buddy. I also got you a bedroom set for your tank, so you can have a bed to sleep in too.”

Castiel purred and rubbed against Dean’s thumb in affection. “ _Oh Dean, thank you. Thank you Dean._

“You like them?”

“ _Oh yes. Thank you Dean_ ,” he repeated happily. “ _I’m sorry I inked_.”

“It’s okay,” Dean replied in amusement. Castiel’s accidental inking was cute in his opinion, albeit messy. “I’m gonna put these on the counter, okay? You wanna come with so you can set them up how you want?”

“ _Yes, please_.”

Sometimes, tiny humanoid octopus Castiel had excellent manners. “That’s my good boy.” Dean gave Castiel a little rub along his back, which made the octopi’s tentacles blush red and he shrunk a bit in his hand with slight embarrassment. Dean loved teasing Castiel since he was always so cute. 

Together, Castiel and Dean set up Castiel’s dining room, which Dean even set a plaid dish towel on to give the furniture more purchase on the smooth surface of the counter, and it gave it a more homey feel. Castiel’s tub of water sat next to the set, in case the little guy needed to rehydrate. While Castiel set up his dining room, Dean went to settle his bedroom furniture into the bottom of the tank. He just hoped it stood up against the salt water. Castiel could rearrange it however he wished once he was back inside, so Dean settled them at the bottom piece by piece, until he had a little bedroom shrine in the sand.

“Hope it’s comfortable,” he muttered before rejoining Castiel in the kitchen.

“ _I am sorry I ruined your book_ ,” Castiel said solemnly.

Dean waved his hand. “How’d you even get it up on the bed?” he asked, suddenly curious. 

“ _I am stronger than I look_ ,” the octopus said proudly, puffing up a bit.

Dean smiled fondly. “You ready for dinner, buddy?”

“ _Oh yes. May we have hamburgers again? I very much like hamburgers_.”

Dean walked over to the fridge and pulled out some hamburger meat, setting it along the counter. Then he handed Castiel the toothpick and corn skewer he used to cut and make his own tiny patties. Lastly, he plopped the itty, bitty chef hat that he had bought with a Barbie onto Castiel’s head. Cas loved his hat. 

“Ready?” Dean asked.

Castiel looked up and smiled brightly. “ _Ready_.” 


	5. Bath Fun

The roll of thunder made Dean glance up from his magazine to glance over at Castiel, who was sitting in small bowl of water, his hands and some of his tentacles pressed against the window as the rain fell hard from the sky, and the lightning lit up the yard now and again. The little octopus had a strong love for thunderstorms, they seemed to bring him peace, even when at times he would ink when a loud crash of thunder frightened him.

 

“ _Dean, I want to go outside_ ,” Castiel said firmly from his spot in the window.

 

“No, Cas,” he replied before turning the page of his magazine. It was the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated. “It’s too dangerous for you to go outside, you could get hurt.”

 

“ _But the rain_ ,” Castiel lamented. “ _Please, Dean_.”

 

“ _No_ , Cas,” he repeated, this time more firmly. “You are not going outside while it’s thunder storming. I told you, you could _watch_ the storm, but you won’t go out in it.”

 

“ _You are not fun, Dean_ ,” Castiel sighed, slowly slipping down into his bowl, until Dean could only see one sole tentacle that hung dramatically over the edge of the bowl. Honestly, Castiel was more dramatic than a child sometimes.

 

“Yep, keep on griping Cas, I’ll feed you applesauce again,” Dean replied evenly and casually. The octopus had a strong dislike of applesauce, but watching him eat it was probably the funniest experience Dean had had so far with his new friend.

 

“ _Not funny Dean_ ,” came Castiel’s voice from his bowl.

 

Dean smirked. “It’s a little funny.”

 

“ _I must disagree_.”

 

He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself, since Castiel was still inside the cup, not even bothering to sit up to talk to him. “Okay Cas,” he said, turning the page of his magazine again. The thunder rolled and then clapped so loud, it even made him jump, so he wasn’t surprised when he heard a small thud on the floor. When he looked over, Castiel was somersaulting along the floor, after being launched out of his bowl, which was lying spilled on the floor now.

 

“ _De-Deeaan_ -“ Castiel squealed in distress.

 

Dean set his magazine aside and quickly moved to catch Castiel and steady him. “Easy there, tiger,” he teased before scooping Castiel up and settling him on his chest. “Did the thunder give you a scare?”

 

“ _Yes Dean_ ,” Castiel whimpered, his small frame shaking.

 

“Shh, it’s okay buddy, I got you. I got you.” Dean wrapped one hand around Castiel, while Castiel wrapped his tentacles around his other hand, holding the little octopus to his chest. His shirt was going to be soaked and dirty, but that was okay. He just wanted Castiel to feel safe again. “Not hurt, are you?”

 

“ _No_ ,” Castiel said.

 

“Good.”

 

“ _Dean?”_

 

“Yeah Cas?” Dean asked, even as Castiel began to climb out of his hand and went to rest along his shoulder to purr and nuzzle at him.

 

_“I love you.”_

Dean felt his entire body go from comfortable to unbearably hot, at Castiel’s words. Did the octopus even _know_ what “love”, meant? Did he understand the full parameters of what he had just proclaimed? Or was he just stating that he, Castiel tiny octopus, had a deep caring for his Dean. Not that that changed how Dean loved Castiel. He did _love_ the little guy; he loved him like one would love their family. Even if he had, in a way, mated with Castiel once…

 

That was a time that Dean tried not to think on too much.

 

“You do?” he asked quietly.

 

Castiel’s suckers were kneading along his neck and chest as they slithered beneath his clothing. _“Yes”_ Castiel cooed.

 

“I um…I love you too, Cas,” Dean muttered to his friend.

 

Castiel settled against him and soon Dean could hear the little purrs and sounds the octopus made in his sleep. Dean would have to try and stay awake so they both didn’t fall asleep for too long. He couldn’t risk Castiel drying out… but maybe if they slept for just a few minutes.

 

\--

 

_“Dean. Dean…..De….an..”_

Someone was calling his name, the voice was so familiar. Dean stirred slowly and turned his head. Castiel, his itty bitty octopus was sitting on his shoulder, dried out. “Cas!” He sat up so fast that he sent Castiel flying and dropping against the other end of the couch.

 

_“Ow.”_

“Oh God, I’m sorry-hold on-“ Dean jumped up carefully to gently scoop Castiel into his hands and rush him back into his tank. But that would mean he had to open the tank and ruin precious time so Dean took a few extra steps and tossed him into the toilet. Which probably took about the same amount of time it would have taken to get the tank lid open, Dean realized in hindsight.

 

The octopus made some happy noises as he sank back into the water, despite being insulted that Dean had thrown him into the toilet. Dean rushed over to crouch next to the porcelain throne and peer over the edge. At least it was _clean_. “I’m so sorry, Cas, are you okay?”

 

 _“I am fine,”_ Castiel insisted, as he rolled around in the water, eager to rehydrate, splashing even.

 

“Here-um-“ Dean turned to fill the bathtub. Castiel liked to take baths; slowly Dean had been gathering up toys for him. Sam had given him the rubber ducky, and Dean had bought Cas a battleship, and some tugboats, as well as a few toy whales and sharks. Castiel _loved_ to play with his toys. That would surely make up for the toilet incident. Castiel cooed and splashed around until Dean gathered him up and set him into the bathtub of warm water. The toilet water was cold, so he knew that this had to be even more refreshing.  

 

 _“Thank you Dean,”_ Castiel said as he dove under the water to play and swim around.

 

Dean relaxed, slowly sinking onto the ground to watch Castiel play and wrap his tentacles around his toys. “You feel better, Cas?”

 

_“Oh yes, much. Go away now.”_

Dean rolled his eyes. He forgot, Castiel liked to have his baths _in private_. “Sorry,” he said before getting up to leave the tiny octopus until he was summoned to come and collect him later. As he shut the door, Dean was fairly certain he heard Castiel start to sing, _Row, row, row your boat_.


	6. Mates

" _Dean, when will I grow big like you_?" 

 

The words made him pause in reading his book. He and Castiel were outside today; he had bought Castiel a little kiddie swimming pool, which was like a football field to the small creature. He loved it more than anything else that Dean had bought for him. While Dean lounged in the sun on his day off, Castiel splashed and played with his armada of bath toys. However, Dean had not been prepared for  _this_ question. "Um...Cas, I don't think you're gonna ever be as big as me...and besides, if you  _did_ get as big as me one day, you wouldn't be able to fit in your tank, and I wouldn't have room to have you here. We'd have to...put you in the ocean or something." 

 

Castiel, ever the sassy and sometimes hard to deal with pessimist, stared at him as if Dean had cursed one thousands deaths upon his being. " _Never_?" he squeaked in horror. " _But...how will I ever be with you? How will we ever be together_?" 

 

Dean slowly set the book aside and swung his legs down to the ground so he could lean down and look at Castiel more directly. "Buddy, we can't be together, okay? Besides, I told you, I've got a boyfriend, remember? He's coming over for dinner tonight. His name is Benny." 

 

Castiel stared up at him blankly; like Dean had spoken an entirely different language. " _But we are mates_ ," Castiel said. " _We are mates, Dean. You-you can't mate with others besides me_ -" 

 

"Cas, I'm not an octopus. I'm a  _human_. You're my friend, but that's it-I-I know we've got a shady past, but please don't bring that up around Benny. He doesn't need to know about that-" 

 

" _He can't have you_!!" Castiel wailed in agony. " _I love Dean-I_  love Dean. _You said you loved_  me." 

 

"Yeah, as your  _friend_ , Cas. I do love you. You're a great friend. "But, you're only just my friend, okay? We can't be mates. Maybe, I'll call Ash later and see if he can find you a girl octopus-or-or a boy octopus," he added quickly at the look Castiel gave him. "To be your new mate, okay?" 

 

" _It doesn't_  work _that way Dean_ ," the octopus snarled fiercely. 

 

Dean sighed and stood up when he heard his phone ring. "I'll be right back." Sliding open the back screen door, Dean walked back into the house to pick up his cell phone. Benny was calling him. Smiling, Dean answered, greeting his Cajun honey warmly. "Well, long time no see, Benny." 

 

Benny chuckled and rumbled his response, "Afternoon Sugar, I'm headin' over to your place right now. I'm even bringin' you a pie. Your favorite." 

 

Dean grinned. "You know how to spoil me," he replied. "I'm out back, you can come around to the fence if you want." 

 

"Will do Sug, will do." 

 

Dean felt his stomach fill with butterflies at the idea of seeing Benny, who he hadn't seen in a ridiculously long time with their awkward work schedules, Dean walked back outside. Castiel was lying on the bottom of his pool, making bubbles, and pouting. Dean ignored him; it was easier to ignore the pouting than to encourage it anyway. He just hoped that Castiel behaved himself when Benny arrived. 

 

\--

 

Benny tasted like burgers, pie, and more; kissing Benny was like coming home, and it always felt good no matter how many times they did it. The splashing coming from the kiddie pool however ruined their moment, and then Dean was pulling Benny over to meet his pet. "Cas, this is Benny...Benny, this is Castiel...the octopus."

 

Benny raised an eyebrow at him, but then he was kneeling beside the pool and going so far as to offer his index finger to Castiel, since he could shake his entire hand. "Dean's told me a lot about you, Cas." 

 

The octopus glared at him, his tentacles a dark, and brooding, inky black. " _He has told me nothing of you_ ," Castiel snapped snidely before wrapping a tentacle around Benny's finger and pulling it close enough for him to latch onto with his sharp teeth, biting as hard as he could. From Benny's cry of alarm, it was apparently a harsh bite. 

 

"Cas!" Dean yelled, wrapping a hand around Castiel's body to pull him away. "You do  _not_ bite people! Bad!" 

 

Castiel glared up at him, his mouth red with Benny's blood. " _He stole you away from me_ ," the octopus insisted.

 

Dean gave Benny an apologetic look and quickly carried Castiel inside to his tank. "You are in time out," he said firmly, quickly depositing Castiel into his home and slamming a book on top of the tank's lid. Ignoring Castiel's screeches of protest, Dean slammed his bedroom door shut and went back outside to look at Benny's finger. "Sorry about him-...He gets jealous easy." 

 

"S'okay Sug, had a dog like that once...a'course my dog couldn't  _talk,_ but he was jealous all the time." Benny winked and Dean took him inside to doctor him up. Castiel's teeth, while small, were sharp, and it took almost fifteen minutes to make the bleeding stop enough that Dean could finally wrap his finger up in gauze and a bandaid. He was going to have to teach the octopus a lesson in manners. There would be no more biting on Dean's watch. 

 

"So...about that pie?" Dean asked, and Benny returned his mischievous smile. 

 

\--

 

It was around three a.m. before Dean finally turned into go to bed; Benny had left around two, but he had spent some time to himself, cleaning and then catching up on some DVR'd shows. He had begged Benny to stay the night, but he had to go back home because of his dogs; and he had a doctor's appointment in the morning, which required a long drive. Dean had felt guilty for keeping him so late, but the sex they had, had made it all worth it in Benny's opinion. The tank was still and quiet when Dean walked into his dark room, the only light being Castiel's tank light. It blue in the dark, and it gave him just enough light that he could undress and yank on some sweat pants for the night. He was just glad he had the following day off as well, so he could sleep in. Unless, of course, Castiel woke him up early in the morning as he was wont to do. 

 

Dean glanced over at Castiel's abode before sighing and walking over to lightly tap on the side. "Cas?" he called gently. "You awake?" There was no response. Dean sighed again, and ran his hand through his hair; perhaps had been too harsh with Castiel earlier. "Cas...buddy? Can we talk, please?" Still, there was no response, so Dean pressed his forehead against the tank in frustration. "Cas?" 

 

The octopus remained hidden and unresponsive, so Dean gave up and turned to go to bed. He mumbled some choice words, even though his mother had always told him to never go to bed angry. He dreamed of Benny and Castiel fighting over him for the rest of the night. 

 

\--

 

Morning came without much event, and Dean began to worry for Castiel when the octopus did not come out of hiding for breakfast; not even for waffles, and Castiel loved waffles. Especially if he got to coat them in maple syrup. Dean came by Castiel's tank several times, and he had even removed the book from the top so Castiel could come free, but there was no sign of him for the whole morning. Eventually, Dean grew so worried that he returned to knock on the tank again, his heart slamming in his chest. What if Castiel were trapped or hurt somewhere in his tank? What if he were-

 

He shook his head. 

 

"Cas? Cas? C'mon, this isn't funny anymore. I'm  _sorry_ , okay? I'm sorry I yelled at you and told you that you were bad. But you can't bite people, that's rude...and we gotta talk about this mate thing, okay? We can't be mates, Cas. We just...we  _can't_. I'm human, you're a tiny little octopus, who is super cute and wonderful to have in the house, but we can't be mates. I'm really sorry, Cas." Dean held his breath and waited for some sign of movement, but so far there was just stillness. 

 

" _Go away_ ," came Castiel's small voice at last. 

 

Dean relaxed and smiled through the tank. "Cas, buddy,  _please_ come out? You've gotta be hungry... I've got a waffle left. I can cut you off a piece. Please?" 

 

Eventually, Castiel appeared around the corner from where he must have been hiding in the back wedged in the rocks; he was still dark in coloration, and his arms were folded across his chest in anger. " _I do not want your waffle_." 

 

"But you  _love_ waffles," Dean pointed out. "Or I could make you a pancake. You like those too, yeah?" Castiel liked the pancakes because they would stick to the suckers on his tentacles and he could tear them apart more easily. 

 

" _I do not want your pancake either_.  _I do not want anything you give me. I want you to take me back, I don't want you anymore."_

 

Dean stared at Castiel in surprise and, if he were being honest with himself, hurt. "What?" he whispered, taken aback by Castiel's attitude. "What do you mean, 'take you back'? Take you back  _where_? To that awful pet store? Cas it was falling apart, and you were  _sick_. I made you better, remember?" 

 

" _You are a liar_ ," Castiel said stubbornly. " _You lied to me_." 

 

"When did I lie to you?" he asked. 

 

" _You said you loved me. That is a lie-_ " 

 

"Cas..I love you, like I love my brother or my friends. I- _we_ cannot be mates, Cas...it's just-it wouldn't work. I'm too big, you're too little...and...you're an octopus, and I'm a human-" 

 

Castiel was quick to cut him off. " _That does not matter to octopi. We love humans all the same. I will grow big one day, and I want to be your mate, and I claimed you as my mate, and now you are seeing someone else. Liar. Rude. I do not want to be here anymore, take me back._ " 

 

"Cas, I'm not taking you back, you're staying here," he replied angrily. "Whether you like it or not." 

 

After he said that, Castiel inked his annoyance, and when the water cleared again, the octopus was gone. Dean sighed heavily, and slowly turned to go and wallow in his own hurt feelings. Raising a stubborn, needy, pain in the ass (but really cute) octopus was the hardest thing he had  _ever_ done. 


	7. In the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going one way with this, and then _this_ happened, and it got serious. 
> 
> I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. Sorry if you were reading this for the cute factor. I promise it'll have a cute ending.

Chairs overturned, table upended, television crashed to the ground, broken. The couch was flipped completely upside down, and the kitchen's floor was covered in shattered glass. The back sliding door was cracked and shoved open, broken off of its track. Despite all of the damage that had been done to his home, the real horror Dean found were the stains on the walls. Black ink, sticky in some places, and dried in others, coated his walls as if a giant printing press had exploded in his house. Once breathing became a natural function again, Dean rushed to his bedroom in fear... and just as he had believed, Castiel was gone. The tank was shattered, and his carpet squished with being water logged. Panic began to seize Dean, and his heart fluttered in his chest in worry. 

 

He had gone on vacation with Benny for a period of two weeks; for that two week period he had been paying Ash to come and care for Castiel, and he had assumed that nothing had been amiss, since he had heard barely anything from Ash. But now he was wishing he had. Panic seized him up so badly that he almost hunched up onto the ground in the fetal position... but no, he  _had_ to find out what had happened. He would call Ash first. The phone rang... and rang.... and rang. It rang a total of six times before going to Ash's voicemail. Dean tried again, but still no answer. 

 

Had something happened to Ash too? Was he hurt? Who would have come to his house to kidnap a tiny octopus? There wasn't even a ransom letter, or note, or anything of the sort. He had to stay calm; if he didn't stay calm, he would never get himself gathered, and then nothing would happen. He would never find Castiel in a panic. Shaking himself, Dean dialed Ash one more time before giving up. Fresh, hot tears began to fill Dean's eyes as he thought on how frightened Castiel must be... and how lonely, and maybe even feeling betrayed. They had fought before Dean had decided to give them some time apart. Vacation had been a  _stupid_ idea, he should have been here for Castiel. This wouldn't have happened, or if it had, whoever had taken Castiel would have had to kill him first. 

 

Dean walked around his house for a clue, for  _something_ \- anything. 

A stray hair, a foot print, a message Castiel hastily scrawled to him,  _anything_. 

 

_Please let there be something._

 

However, there was nothing, and Dean turned in a slow circle and the tears overwhelmed him then. 

 

\--

 

"You truly  _are_ the most curious thing I've  _ever_ seen." 

 

Castiel glared at the man who had taken him, and was now holding him in a glass tank that was much too small for him. It was a solid box with a few air holes in the top; not that he needed them. This man was an  _idiot_. " _Take me back to Dean_ ," he demanded angrily, his arms crossed. Despite the fact that he and Dean had fought, that did not mean he truly wanted to  _leave_ Dean. Especially not now, when he was now the same size as Dean. He was floating in tank that latched at the top, and they were on a boat, at least that was what he figured, as he could sense the vibrations in the glass. Knocking this glass tank over would be easy enough, if he rocked hard enough with the motion of the boat, but then it would break, and he would bleed.  _  
_

 

"The only place  _you_ are going is to the labs," the man replied with a cruel smile. "My boss is just going to  _love_ you." 

 

Castiel wanted to ink in annoyance, but he held back the urge. " _I said take me back_ ," he commanded, puffing up and turning vibrant red in his rage. " _Take me back right now_." 

 

"Sorry, I can do  _no_ such thing," the man said before walking out with a little wave. 

 

Castiel screeched and roared in his anger, pounding on the glass. When the tank gave a groan and shudder, Castiel ceased. Not only did he not know  _where_ he was, he also was not sure who he was with, or what ocean he was over. His body would adapt to cold waters, but the ocean could send him into shock and kill him. He screeched again, this time in anguish. He wanted  _Dean_. He wanted Dean to come rescue him. He wanted to know how this man had made him big, and most of all, he wanted to know where he was going, and what it meant for him. Eventually, Castiel deflated, and slowly began to turn gray in his distress. Dean would look for him; he had to believe that. 

 

\--

 

"I shouldn't have left him Benny," Dean sobbed to his boyfriend in anguish as they sat in Benny's truck together. "I shouldn't have gone with you." 

 

"Dean, you didn't  _know_ this would happen-hell you don't even really know _what_ happened," Benny pointed out gently. The bigger man slid a warm hand between Dean's shoulder blades to massage and rub. "We will get Castiel back." 

 

"Yeah but _how_? Like you said, we don't know what happened-I-I mean maybe someone heard something, but I haven't heard jack from my neighbors..." Dean sighed and wiped his eyes clear. He had to keep it all together so he could focus on tracking the octopus down. "What if he's hurt, Benny? What if he's crying, and he's lonely...and he doesn't have his rubber duck and-" 

 

"Shhh, Sugar... _shhh."_ Benny continued to rub along Dean's back, trying to keep the other man calm. "I think I know who we could ask." 

 

"Who?" Dean whimpered. 

 

Benny kicked his truck into gear then. "Just trust me." 

 

\--

 

It was dark, wherever they were going; it was so dark that he could hardly see, which seemed impossible. Castiel normally had excellent night vision, but it was just  _dark_. He could feel the tank moving, but he was not sure how he was moving; they were no longer on the boat, that much he knew. There muted voices outside, and then they were rumbling to a stop, and Castiel heard the latch on the top of the tank click. He screeched and rammed his full body weight up at the top, thrashing, and attempting to climb out. The men were yelling, calling for other men to stop him. He was in a giant room, with machines he did not recognize; along the walls were many giant glass tanks, filled with creatures similar to him, and others that were different. The sight of all of them staring at him, made him pause his fighting just long enough. 

 

The men had him then, and they were hauling him towards a metal cylinder. He tried to struggle and fight, but there was another man coming at him. "Stay calm," the man said, and Castiel's eyes widen when he saw what the man held in his hand. "Just stay calm and this will only hurt a bit." 

 

Castiel screamed. 


	8. In the Dark Part 2

Chuck Shurley - coincidentally the man he had taken Castiel from - was also the man that they came to question. Chuck was an exotic pet collector, but clearly something had snapped in the man. Benny told him it was due to an attack that one of his pets dealt him; he was more nervous than anyone he had ever seen before.

 

“You-you say that someone took Castiel?” Chuck stammered.

 

“Yeah, I don’t know who… Do you _you_? Who would want him? He’s not that big…” Dean trailed off helplessly. “Who would want a tiny octopus?”

 

“You did,” Chuck replied quickly.

 

“Well-yeah but-...I mean I didn’t even know what he was-...” Dean shook his head. “Do you know who took Cas, or not?”

 

A long pause followed the question, where Chuck shuffled around nervously. He had been trying to tidy up some books sitting precariously on a table, but he ended up spilling them all over the floor. “Yes-I do-I mean I have a guess-I-I don’t know for _sure_ , of course. But… there is a man, named Alastair, he does... _experiments_ on exotic creatures, for fun. But he wouldn’t want a tiny octopus-he’d have to make Castiel large.”

 

“Is that even possible?” Dean demanded. He stared at Chuck in anger, his hands clutching in fists.

 

“Yes,” Chuck whispered. “It is difficult, but he’s managed it… I don’t know how, it’s some sort of...science or-or magic.” Chuck knelt and began to gather up the books quickly into his arms to stack on the table once again. “I’m sorry, I can’t help you-”

 

Dean stormed over and grabbed the smaller man by the front of his robe, shaking him. “You listen to me, you are _going_ to help me, you got it? You’re the only chance I have to find him, and I _need_ to find him. Got it?”

 

Chuck nodded weakly. “O-okay… I’ll see what I can do.”

 

\--

 

The tank was cold and dark - and he supposed not even a tank; it was a holding cell. He could swim around in circles, and there was one small round window with dirty glass that gave him a distorted view of the outside world. The water was cold and it was changing his body; he had lost weight because they hardly fed him, and he had changed colors to blend in the dark, his gums pulling back to reveal his teeth more as he adjusted to bottom dwelling. When the men returned they would toss in dead fish parts for him to eat now and again, and he screeched in anger, attempting to rock the cylinder he lived in.

 

There was no use but he threw himself at the sides of his new home anyway. He would scrape his tentacles along the sides until he bled. The water tasted like iron and death; Castiel wanted out. He wanted _free_ , but Castiel knew freedom was far away. There was no hope here, not in this dark and cold jail cell. When the noise outside of his tank died, Castiel settled down on the bottom and whimpered for Dean.

 

\--

 

“So what’s the likelihood that we could just _walk_ up there and demand my octopus back?” Dean asked Benny casually as they sat outside what looked like a fortress.

 

Benny shook his head. “I think you’re goin’ to too much trouble for one animal, Dean.”

 

He frowned and looked over at Benny. “What do you mean?”

 

Benny gestured at the guards outside, “I mean you’re gonna wind up _dead_ and for what? An octopus as large as your palm? Dean, he ain’t worth it. Your life matters too.”

 

“Benny-”

 

“I ain’t gonna risk my skin for him, I’m sorry.”

 

Dean stared at Benny in complete surprise; the man had fought in a war, saved countless of his brothers-in-arms but he wasn’t willing to help Dean now? “This isn’t like you,” he whispered.

 

“I’m sorry Dean. It just ain’t worth it to me.” Benny shook his head and began to back the truck up. “You can come back if you want, but I ain’t gonna have a part in this.”

 

He wanted to yell and scream but he stayed silent, partly because he wasn’t exactly looking to get shot either. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure _how_ he was going to get inside, but if Benny wouldn’t help him, then he knew who would. If he could find him that is. When Benny dropped him off at his house, he turned to face him, his anger boiling beneath his skin. “We’re through,” was all he said before going to his car and climbing in. He was going to find Ash, but first, he would pay another friend a visit.

 

\--

 

“Dean? It’s late-what are you doing here?” Charlie Bradbury stared at him in confusion was he simply walked into her apartment without invitation. “I was about to go to bed…”

 

“Charlie, remember how I told you about Cas?” he asked. “I know it was brief, but remember?”

 

“Yeah? I remember? Ash told me about him too.”

 

“Someone took him. Some guy named Alastair, and I gotta get him back, but I need to find Ash first… and I’m going to need your help. Do you think you could find a way to break into the security system? I have the address-”

 

Charlie cut him off by holding out her hand for the slip of paper in his hand, which he relinquished, and then she was over to her computer and tapping away. “Man, for a rich guy his security _sucks_.”

 

“Maybe he thinks no one knows where they are,” he pointed. “It was hard to get to.”

 

“ _Still_.” Charlie shook her hand and continued to tap away, before she stopped all together. “Well shit.”

 

“What?” he asked, worry making his voice crack.

 

“I was wrong- there’s an outer security program, it kind of _masks_ the more complicated codes. This is going to take a while.” She turned to give him an apologetic look.

 

“How long?” he asked.

 

“Maybe a month…” She flinched. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to get in faster, but I doubt it.”

 

“A _month_? Charlie, Cas may not _have_ a month!” He didn’t mean to yell at her, since it wasn’t as if she were doing anything on purpose, she was just trying to help him after all, but Castiel needed his help _now_. He didn’t want to wait an entire month to save him. “I’m sorry-I didn’t mean…”

 

She nodded in understanding, “It’s okay. I get it. You want to help him right now, I’m sorry, but I can’t. However, I might be able to help you find Ash. And _Ash_ might be able to get us in faster, I will admit.”

 

Dean smiled slightly. “Alright, let’s get cracking.”

 

\--

 

Castiel growled low in his chest as the top of the cylinder began to come open. The cruel man with the musical voice stared down at him with a cold smile on his face. His color began to gray out, in an attempt to blend in with his surroundings, his skin mimicking the texture of the metal surrounding him. He had no desire to go with that man, but he had a feeling that was why he was here.

 

“You sure are a _lovely_ thing,” Alastair, that was the man’s name, purred. “I am going to make so much money off of you.”

 

Castiel hissed and screeched, digging his nails into the metal sides of his tank when two men in white uniforms began to prod him with sharp rods to make him rise to the surface. They poked him until he bled, but he held his ground. The longer Alastair was forced to wait, the angrier he became, and he screamed at the men to go into the water and _drag_ him out if they must. The first man came into the tank cautiously. Castiel had never harmed a person before, mainly because he was just too small to do so, but the need to survive sent his mind into overdrive. His tentacles shot out and wrestled the pike away from the stranger; he listened to the man scream until he finally wrapped a tentacle around his neck, squeezing, before shoving the pike through the man’s chest and letting him hang impaled in the water.

 

Alastair watched him and the other man refused to climb in. Castiel glared back up at his captor in defiance. He chucked the dead man from his tank and then returned to the safety of the deep bottom, growling. Alastair turned to look at the other man who had refused to climb in and simply said, “Starve him.”

  
  


 


	9. Dark Waters

“Holy shit you’re alive,” Dean burst out loud when Ash appeared on Charlie’s doorstep later that night. “I seriously thought you were dead.”

 

Ash shuddered and stepped inside, looking paranoid. “Dude, I thought I was gonna be,” was his grave reply. “But I’m here, and I’m so damn sorry about Cas, I’ll help you get him back.”

 

“Where _were_ you?” Dean asked, following him as they walked back to where Charlie was still trying to crack into the security system to where Cas was being held captive.

 

“In hiding, trying to shake those fuckers who came for Cas. They beat me bloody, left me in your house, and when I walked outta there, I went underground more or less. Sorry about that too.” Ash slid into the chair Charlie offered him in front of her computer system so he could get to work.

 

“I estimated a month,” she was saying but Dean tuned them out.

 

His mind turned to Cas and wondering if his octopus was okay. He _needed_ Cas to be okay. The little guy meant everything to him. Plus, it was his own fault that Cas was even in this situation. If they hadn’t had a fight, and if he hadn’t just took off…

 

He shook his head.

 

Thinking so negatively would only land him in a pile of paranoid thoughts. He could not afford to be paranoid right now. As Ash and Charlie set about cracking codes he did not understand, Dean went to rest on her couch. He only meant to shut his eyes for a few moments, they were so heavy he couldn’t keep them open anymore. But when he opened them again it was because Ash was tapping him over and over. He sat up with a snort, and began to rub his eyes, “Shit, what?”

 

“We got it.”

 

That startled him awake. “You _got_ it? Jesus-” He stood up so fast he almost fell over again, but he was able to catch himself on Ash’s shoulder. “Well, let’s go!”

 

Ash nodded, and then he saw them gather up a bunch of equipment, but Dean didn’t question it. They were heading out to Ash’s van and soon speeding on down the road. Charlie outfitted him with a tiny microphone for his ear, and Ash was giving him rules.

 

“You’ve got about twenty minutes once we get there to get him out. It’s gonna be pitch black in there, unless they’ve got back up generators. Once you’re inside, I’ll walk you through the layout, alright?” Ash said.

 

“Okay,” Dean replied gruffly. Nerves made his stomach clench and jump, but Dean ignored it. Keeping his head level right now was important. They were pulling up and parking close to the road, where Dean climbed out of the van and jogged on up to the fence. He waited for Ash’s signal before he began to dash up and jump over. It was a high climb but he had always been good at jumping fences. Using his coat to hope over the top, Dean yanked it back down and snuck on up to the back door.

 

“Okay, once you’re inside you’re going to go to your direct left,” Ash told him. “There’s a set of stairs you’re gonna go down. Be careful.”

 

“Figures,” Dean muttered. The back door was unlocked, as Ash had promised earlier that it would be. It was heavy but with a good yank, Dean pried it open, sliding inside as quietly as he could manage. He stood by the door for a moment to make sure there were no sounds of footsteps before turning and feeling for the stairs. His eyes adjusted to make them out barely, and he had to take them painfully slow so as not to trip and break his neck.

 

“You down?” Ash asked.

 

“Yeah,” he whispered, trying in vain to see in the dark.

 

“Okay, walk forward.” Blindly, Dean felt along the walls until Ash told him to stop. “Turn right, there should be a-”

 

“Light,” Dean whispered, relaxing slightly. There was a glowing red light blinking. “What is that?”

 

“It means the security cameras and shit are off, but it’s gonna take them a bit to get everything up and running. See the door at the end of the hall? Go through it and you should be in the room where they keep everything. Use your phone light sparingly, man. I don’t know if there’s anyone in there,” Ash cautioned.

 

“Thanks.” Dean sped up to get to the door, pulling it open, and it was just as heavy as the back door. Whatever these doors were made of they had to be military grade or _something_. Shutting the door as quietly as the heavy thing would allow, Dean glanced around the room. There were no voices, no sounds, nothing. However, on the walls were aquariums, tons and tons of aquariums. Like at Sea World, but these were full of _things_ that Dean did not recognize. Some of them looked like Cas, some of them did not.

 

The creatures were emitting some sort of light, and it was just enough that he could see around the room without running into anything. Dean was reminded of how Castiel’s bowl had been glowing that first night. Metal exam tables were scattered all around, covered in sharp instruments, and some of them had rotting body parts on top. The smell was enough for Dean to pull his shirt to cover his nose; it was sickening. A lopped off tentacle was closest to his right, and he did his best not to touch it or breathe in the smell it fumed.

 

“Jesus,” Ash hissed in his ear.

 

Dean shuddered and continued walking, trying to spot Cas in one of the aquariums. In the middle of the room sat a metal cylinder … thing. Dean wasn’t sure what it was, but there was a viewing window at his eye level. “What the hell,” he whispered. Peering inside the window, Dean almost screamed and his heart thudded hard in his chest, galloping to get away, as a face looked back at him, and then there was a muted screech, and whatever was inside attempted to bang around.

 

“Fuck!” Ash yelped, which made Dean flich. “Sorry-”

 

He took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart and nerves. There were stairs leading up to the top, just a few, so Dean slid up them and unlatched the top. Whatever possessed him to do this was winning out on his rational brain, which was telling him to run like hell. The top of the cylinder opened with a slow, mechanical hiss, and then Dean was staring down into black waters. Black with ink, blood, or simply black because it was so dark, Dean couldn’t tell. It was unsettling no matter which way he looked at it.

 

“Cas?” he whispered. He dared to grasp the edge and lean over, trying to peer down into the dark. Something wet slithered around his arm and yanked him in. He screamed, water immediately filling his lungs. Water sloshed and the metal of the tank rang in his ears as Dean struggled to break free. When he opened his eyes a horrific face with teeth and glowing blue eyes stared back at him, and black tentacles wrapped around his neck. Dean tried to pry them away, his movements becoming weaker as he struggled to get away.

 

When his eyesight grew blurry, Dean knew that he was going to die. He had been foolish to come here, and he had failed Cas. But then, as soon as he had the thought of death, the hold the creature had on him ceased, and Dean shot to the surface, coughing and sputtering, trying to remove the water from his lungs. Shaking and exhausted, Dean clung to the side of the tank; the water was freezing cold. If he didn’t get out soon his muscles were going to lock up.

 

There was a staticy voice in his ear. Ash. He had forgotten he had been wearing a microphone. “S’okay,” he choked out weakly. “I’m okay.”

 

Whatever was in the water moved and Dean hauled himself over the side to keep it from dragging him back under. He coughed more, spitting out more water. There was a loud bang and that was enough of a convincer to make him struggle to his feet again, slowly turning. The creature was hauling itself up out of the water to look at him, its long fingers digging into the side of the tank. Its teeth were what concerned him the most, long, vicious, and sharp, it looked like a horror experiment gone wrong.

 

“ _Dean_?” it said.

 

That voice. He knew that voice; it was different now, deeper, but it was-... “Cas?” he hissed.

 

“ _Dean. Dean. Dean. Dean_ ,” Castiel chimed happily.

 

“Holy fuck, what happened to you-nevermind. We gotta go, Buddy, c’mon.” Dean held out his arms and Castiel wrapped his own around him. The octopus purred in his ear, his tentacles and lower half wrapping around him in a tangled frenzy.

 

“ _Sorry. Dean. Sorry_ ,” Castiel whispered.

 

“It’s okay, Cas,” he whispered back, stroking his hair gently as they began to descend the stairs back to the main floor. The other creatures were all in a frenzy in their tanks, but Dean did not have time to waste, so carefully he walked Cas to the door.

 

“ _Dean_ ,” Castiel whimpered.

 

“Did you forget how to talk?” he whispered to him, trying to get a better hold of his slick body. “God, you weigh a fucking ton.”

 

“ _Dean_ ,” he whimpered again, his tone sad and hurt.

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to call you fat or anything-you’re just-” Dean grunted, shifting Cas around, “heavy, that’s all. Can you get the door?”

 

Castiel twisted in his arms, seemingly having no spine, as he pulled the heavy door open for him.

 

“Thanks, Buddy.”

 

“ _Dean_.”

 

“Yeah, I’m here. I’m here for ya.” Shifting one more time, they began their walk down the hall, where Dean had to shush Castiel’s purring and soft noises a few times, his own ears straining to hear any noises of people. He _had_ made a lot of noise in the tank, and he wasn’t sure if anyone had heard him in this silence. They were halfway up the stairs when he heard heavy footsteps coming after them.

 

“Hey!” a man called.

 

“Shit, hold on Cas,” Dean pushed them up the steps, while the octopus clung to him so hard that he started to lose feeling in his arms and legs. “Get the door-” Castiel twisted again and pushed the door open, just as the man fired off a gun. “FUCK.”

 

Castiel startled and Dean almost dropped him. The octopus’ body was so large and slick, that Dean was struggling to keep him in his arms, no matter how tightly Cas squeezed. There was a searing pain in his upper arm, and when he glanced, he saw that the bullet had grazed him. Alarmed, Dean began to look Castiel over as they struggled to keep rushing away to where the van waited. “Are you hurt?” he demanded.

 

“ _Dean_ ,” Castiel said, his tone was the only thing that conveyed to Dean that he was fine. Then Cas saw his arm, and his tone turned alarmed. “ _Dean! DeanDean!!”_

 

“I know, I know, Cas. Hold on-I’ll be okay. It’s fine.” Wrapping his arms around Castiel’s torso, Dean ran the last bit to the fence. That was when he realized they were completely fucked. He couldn’t haul himself _and_ Castiel up and over the fence. “Son of a bitch-”

 

“ _Dean_?”

 

“Cas-fuck-” Mind racing, Dean looked around them, trying to find a place they could either go under or where there was a weak spot in the chain link. But there was nothing, and Dean could hear them rallying to come after them. That’s when he heard Castiel _growl_ and when Dean turned to look at what he was looking at, someone punched him in the face. The force of the hit sent his head back against the fence and then Castiel was screeching and whomever had hit him was regretting their decision.

 

Dean watched blearily as the octopus literally ripped his attacker’s face off.  Blood splattered over his face like hot paint, and Dean decided not to say anything, even if Cas’ actions had shocked him. There was blood pouring down his face, and he wasn’t even sure if it was his or the man Cas had just killed.

 

“Dean move!” someone yelled in his ear.

 

Ash. He had forgotten about Ash. Dean turned in time to see Ash’s van come veering towards the gate. Apologizing to Cas, he yanked them to the right and the van came crashing into the chain link, ripping it up out of the ground. Charlie was throwing the side door and with one more ounce of energy, Dean threw himself and Cas inside, making sure all of Cas was in the van before allowing Charlie to shut the door.

 

“ _Dean_ ,” Castiel hissed, his clammy hands going to cup his face in concern.

 

“M’okay,” he insisted tiredly.

 

“Fuck-” Charlie hissed as she saw how much blood was covering Dean’s body. “Where the hell are you bleeding from?!”

 

“I’m not-well I am-this isn’t mine… I got shot in the arm though, it’s fine. I’m fine.” He sat up and looked Cas over, making sure he was alright. “Where’s the squirt bottle?” When Charlie pressed it into his hand, Dean began to spray Cas’ body with the water, which made the octopus purr and make pleased noises as he rehydrated. “Good boy, Cas. Good boy.”

 

“ _Dean. Dean. Dean. Dean. Dean. Dean Dean Dean.”_

 

“Yeah, yeah I hear ya,” Dean chuckled. He sighed, slowly sitting back against the passenger’s seat, his legs sprawled out in front of him. Castiel laid on the floor with him, staring back with his huge eyes. “What the hell are we gonna do with you, huh?”

 

“ _Dean_?”

 

“I got an idea,” came Ash’s voice from the front. “You won’t like it.”

 

Dean took a deep breath. He had a feeling he knew where this was going, and he stared at Cas sadly. “Hit me,” he whispered. Castiel stared back at him in confusion.

 

 


	10. Mates?

The sun and ocean waters were warm where Dean floated near the surface at the beach. The waves rocked and brushed against his body gently. He patted the surface of the water, "Castiel! Cas-c'mon, Buddy-" 

 

With a spray of water, Castiel popped up, his eyes bright, and his face looking normal now that he had been enjoying his new reef home. He smiled, allowing Cas to wrap strong tentacles around his waist so they could stay close. " _Hello Dean_ ," Castiel greeted warmly.

 

"Heya, Cas." Dean smirked and began to run his hands along Castiel's head, listening to him purr and make soft noises. "How are you?" 

 

" _Miss you_ ," Castiel replied sadly. His color faded slightly and Dean quickly started to scratch his chin to perk him up again. 

 

"I know, Cas, I know," Dean whispered. The night they had rescued him, Dean knew that they were going to have to find a more permanent solution for Castiel's home. Ash had told him that they could return Cas to the ocean, at least until they had a tank built or a pool or  _some_ type of container for him to live in. So far, the best solution they had was to allow Cas to stay in the waters while he and Ash built a giant pool for the backyard. Dean figured they could fill it with salt water and Castiel could live in his backyard. Since the house was too small to keep an octopus as large as Cas. But the project was a slow one, since they were stretching both their time and wallets. "I miss you too." 

 

Castiel whimpered. " _Want to go home_." 

 

Dean pressed his forehead to Castiel's, his hands settling around Cas' waist. "I know, I want you home too. I do... but you gotta wait a  _little_ while longer, alright? Just a little." 

 

Castiel sighed. " _Dean miss me?_ " _  
_

 

"Yes, I miss you. I miss you lots." 

 

That seemed to perk Castiel up again and the octopus smiled and cooed, his colors brightening. " _Dean. Dean wait here._ "

 

"Okay, Buddy." He rested back against some rocks that they were floating near, and then Castiel was gone, swimming off in the opposite direction. He could feel the sun burning his skin. That sunscreen bottle at the store had been too expensive in his opinion, but now he was wishing he had some. He would resemble a lobster by the time he arrived back home. Dean jerked when Castiel resurfaced, in his hand a string of shells. He held them out in offering, and Dean slowly accepted them. "Wow, Cas, they're lovely." 

 

Castiel smiled. " _Made for you_." 

 

"You made it for me? Well, it's lovely. Thanks, Cas." 

 

No one could understand why Castiel had lost some of his capacity for language, but Ash had figured it had to do with Castiel's brain switching to survival mode; his body morphing to the overly cold and dark waters, which had then in turn shut off what he had learned of English from before. Slowly, Cas was regaining his capacity to speak, and Dean figured that they would soon be having full conversations once more. 

 

Castiel slid up to him, nuzzling against his chin, his fingers playing along Dean's bare chest. " _Mates_?" 

 

Dean blinked and glanced down at Cas, where he was staring up shyly. A small smile twitched Dean's mouth. "Yeah," he said with a firm nod. "Mates." 


End file.
